Bayne is honored with a Quilt of Valor
COLERIDGE — Virgil Bayne, Coleridge, was recently honored for his service in the United States Army from the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Due to COVID-19, Mary Rastede, Allen, was not able to do a formal presentation of the honor. She dropped off the quilt and a certificate and it was presented to Bayne May 28 by Robert Sheckler, Administrator of The Embers.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization of over 10,000 volunteer quilters from all across the U.S.
It was founded in 2003 by “Blue Star” military mom Catherine Roberts. With a son deployed in Iraq as a “Gunner” sitting atop a Humvee, she felt “ten seconds away from panic” 24 hours a day. One night at 2 a.m., she had a terrible dream. She dreamt of a soldier who was also having a bad time, sitting on his bed in the middle of the night.
It was just like a movie – the first scene was of gloom. In the next scene, she saw him sitting on the side of his bed, wrapped in a quilt. The quilt comforted him and he knew someone cared. From this dream, the Quilts of Valor Foundation began. Over 250,000 quilts have been awarded through this foundation nationwide.
These quilts are meant to honor veterans who have been touched by war.
They honor veterans for their service. They honor veterans for leaving their home and loved ones and all they held dear, and for standing in harm’s way in a time of crisis, protecting this nation.
This quilt is meant to be used, and to comfort the veteran.
It is a quilt from family, friends and a grateful nation. It is to remind the veteran that people care about you.
A quilt consists of three layers held together by its quilting stitches. We like to think of the layers in this way: The top of the quilt with
The top of the quilt with its many colors, shapes, and fabrics, represents the communities and the many individuals in the country.
The batting, the filler, is the center of the quilt, its warmth. It represents the hope this quilt will bring warmth, comfort, peace, and healing to the individual who receives it.
The backing is the strength that supports the other layers. It represents the strength of the recipient, the support of his or her family, our communities, and our nation.
Each stitch that holds the layers together represents love, gratitude, and even the tears of the maker.
On each quilt is a Quilt of Valor, a label that tells a little about the quilt.
The veteran’s name is forever inscribed on the Quilt of Valor so future generations also know what the veteran did for our country.
